Sunday, December 26, 2010

My kids did get some 40k stuff, and I'd made 40k advent calendars. The theme this year was board games. Between my kids, wife and myself we just go Lego Minotaurs, Lego Creationary, Munchkin, Primordial Soup, Settlers of Catan, Forbidden Island, and Castle Ravenloft. Other bits too, but I'm really looking forward to some of these games. We've already tried the two Lego games. Minotaurs is great if you want something nice and confrontational, plenty of opportunity to mess with people. Creationary is good for getting inspired, need to be quick with your fingers. Both well recommended.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Seems like there are a few reviews starting to pop up. All generally favorable, so I wanted to add mine.

The Box
A heavy cardboard box with a thin cardboard slip cover. Nice artwork and an introductory grimdark passage. Inside are the DVDs is a really nice metal coated case, and the hardbound graphic novel. So far, good marks, the DVD case particularly.

The Graphic Novel
I know its a novel because it said so on the box. Novels these days don't have many words I guess. This post probably has more words than the entire 'novel'. And the artwork. Hmm. Some nice pages, but some really bad ones two. There is a close up of a head that would have looked badly drawn in an early 80s issue of 2000AD. However, it does act as a nice intro and explains a little of the background. Primarily why a captain is taking a single squad of Ultranewbies into battle. Really could have done with a better artist. I'm sure this guy is good, but how work here lets the side down. So, neutral on the Graphic Novel. Nice back story, nice packaging, but not particularly graphic, or much of a novel.

The DVD Case
Is awesome, just in case you forgot that bit.

The movie
OK, it does take a while to get moving. To be honest though, it's character development and I'm happy with the slower pace of the first half. While they could have all jumped in a Rhino, it did help to build things up a bit, add some tension. Animation runs from average to top notch and is mostly very high with some lovely texturing and lighting effects. While they could have had a prettier overall movie with some more cash, they spent enough. There aren't really any bits that I thought looked bad. Story wise, there is one, it has some depth. Good enough for me. Can't say much more. Oh, and the voice acting is wonderful. Their choices really paid off.
Overall, looks good, plays good, definitely enjoyable.

The best bits
I particularly liked the fluff at the start, and the two bullet-time scenes. The speeder was nice too, but sadly didn't get any action. The chaplain is cool too, wish he'd had more time. The other touch I liked was a couple of the heads up views where you are seeing things with a data overlay as a marine would see them. And down in the bottom right corner little inspirational messages pop up like 'burn the heretic'.

What the next movie needs
Assuming 600,000 plus people buy this one and they make a decent amount of money and decide to make a second one. Plasma or melta weapons would be nice in action. A dreadnought with an autocannon. A land raider. And that's assuming they stay with Ultramarines, I'd love to see an IG movie to.

Has arrived, sweetness.
When I'm to busy to sit and watch it.
Nice thick, heavy box which contains the graphic novel and the movie. The graphic novel is hard bound but a bit sparse on words. Not read it yet, just from flicking through the pages. The movie itself comes as two discs (movie and specials) in a really nice looking metal case. Great job there.

One issue, its R rated. Now I expected some violence obviously, but what did they have to do to get an R rated cartoon? So now I need to watch it before I let the kids even note its existence so I can figure out if its OK for them. Supposed to take it to the FLGS so a few of us there can watch it. Also got a friend who wants to organize a manly night of manliness (where you sit and paint and play 40K and drink whiskey. In a manly manner) around watching it. But dudes, R rated. Do they not realize how much of their potential audience that knocks out?